Has anyone had their side steps stolen?

I went to drive my car last night and the metal part of the side step was stuck under my car and I drove over it with my wheel…pulling it off completely!! I believe this to be blatant tampering in an attempt to steal the metal part of the side step. I like in Essex and had my full size spare wheel stolen from beneath my car before (so now keep in the boot!!!) and now this. Has anyone had this done to their vehicle too? And is this common?

I am part-ex'ing my car in for a new Evoque when it arrives in a month so don’t really want to have to replace the side step unless it is reasonably cheap, so can anyone advise if it is easy to just remove the side steps and can this be done myself? I have a 2007 RRS HSE TDV8.

Thanks.

hi, sorry about your problem.
You can get a cheap pair of side steps from Ebay, don't know how good they will be but if your moving the car on
Heres the Ebay link -

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LAND-ROVER-RANGE...54099a5819 2006 4.2 Supercharged Buckingham blue
2003 BMW X5 4.6is Estoril blue
2006 Yamaha FZ6

jmcvs thanks for the link, i really appreciate it and looks like I can do this work myself too x

Imann, if it's the aluminium part of the side step you are talking about, then i don't believe someone was trying to steal it. It's a common problem, they are held on with rivets that corrode over time, and the aluminium section of the side step just comes away and falls off. One of mine did it last week, fortunately while i was parked up at work, so no damage. Mine are just 3 years old. I am just going to replace the entire steps as they are cheap enough as per the link above.

Click image to enlarge

The pop rivets holding on the aluminium trim corrode and then they just fall off. Strangely it often seems to happen when the car is parked.

Replacement trims are available after market from several sources and here is one:
http://www.sidesteps.co.uk/shop/extras/rep...ide-steps/

If you are handy with a spanner it is easy to take off the sidestep - just a few small nuts to undo - and then you will have good access to fit the new strip either with pop rivets (or self tappers if you don't have a rivet gun).

If you search this website there have been a few posts with tips on how to fit the new trim as I seem to remember it is necessary to do a little bit of fettling with some G-clamps to achieve a nice snug fit. 2008 MY Java Black TDV8 HSE

Hi Ady 555, yes it’s the aluminum part that has come off. When I look at the rivets they are all intact and not corroded, bar one….where on the outer side where is looks like it’s been hit vertically (on the first rivet at the front of the vehicle) and it’s completely cracked where the rivet was and the front end of the aluminum part has been straightened which makes me think someone has tried to rip it off but been unsuccessful. Then as it dropped down and my wheel ran over it whilst reversing it had popped off all the other rivets!!

Just a bit of a nightmare!!!

I’m going to check the car when I get home tonight to see if I can just buy the replacement aluminum edging strip or whole new replacement steps in case if step has been damages when the aluminum edging came off.

Thanks for the links everyone.

i agree, it could have just been rusted rivets and fallen off

but you can also make a bit more room in the boot and buy a RLD spare wheel protector, from one of our sponsors

http://www.rrsport.co.uk/forum/topic23416....=rld+wheel

though, if your trading it in might not be worth now, but you can let your mates know about it

Imann, check the other side of your vehicle and see if the other trim is loose. When i checked mine, it had started to come away from the step near the rear of the car, so i pulled that trim off too.

^^^ That's only because you were trying to get that 'murdered' look  ON THE WAY: BMW F21 M140i
MERCEDES GL350 - Metallic Navy Blue w/Grey interior

GOING: BMW F31 335D MSport+ xDrive Touring
GONE: Land Rover Discovery 4 HSE - Stornaway Grey w/Black Interior (wish we'd kept it )
GONE: BMW F10 520D MSport - Carbon Black
GONE:MY12 RRS SDV6 HSE Sumatra/Ivory/Grand Black Privacy glass

lmann wrote:

Has anyone had their side steps stolen?

I went to drive my car last night and the metal part of the side step was stuck under my car and I drove over it with my wheel…pulling it off completely!! I believe this to be blatant tampering in an attempt to steal the metal part of the side step. I like in Essex and had my full size spare wheel stolen from beneath my car before (so now keep in the boot!!!) and now this. Has anyone had this done to their vehicle too? And is this common?

I am part-ex'ing my car in for a new Evoque when it arrives in a month so don’t really want to have to replace the side step unless it is reasonably cheap, so can anyone advise if it is easy to just remove the side steps and can this be done myself? I have a 2007 RRS HSE TDV8.

Thanks.

You wont have any spare wheel worries, Evoque does not come with a spare wheel. and there is not an option. It comes with a 12 volt electric pump and a canister of Goo  itisme

Which is ideal if your tyre sheds at 70mph on the motorway

I have alway insisted on a fullsize spare when buying a new car. With this gunge sealant, it has a restricted distance and speed limit. And the tyre cant be repaired after. So its a new tyre. Also it wont work if the hole is too big. So you are stranded until a tyre company can get to you.and if the can get a tyre of your type and size. Even a space saver tyre is better than gunge. I have also found that where a space saver is supplied the space will take a fullsize wheel itisme

I have always wondered that if you carry a space saver wheel and fill the rest of the boot with gear but then you have a puncture and the SpaceSaver is used where do you put the full size punctured wheel ?

I have always wondered that with Porsche 911

362bkr wrote:

I have always wondered that if you carry a space saver wheel and fill the rest of the boot with gear but then you have a puncture and the SpaceSaver is used where do you put the full size punctured wheel ?